How FibreShare Works

Feel like you need a little help to understand what FibreShare is all about? You’re not alone! Chances are – you fall into one of these categories:

You are debating signing up for the next round of FibreShare but don’t quite get how it will work.

You want to participate but feel intimidated by some of the past share-packages you’ve seen on Instagram.

You’re interested in FibreShare but just want to make sure you’re apprised of all the basics.

Whatever the reason, don’t you worry “ewe” pretty little head. We’re here to advise how to make the most of your FibreShare experience. If you’re looking for more background on FibreShare as a whole, please see our blog post: “What Is FibreShare?”

Get a partner matching email from us with details about your 2 assigned partners

Curate and ship 1 FibreShare package

Receive 1 FibreShare package

Sounds easy right? Believe it or not, it is easy! There are only a handful of requirements for an active participant of FibreShare, but they are VERY important:

You are required to have a valid, active, Instagram username.

You are required to send at least 200 grams of yarn and/or fiber.

We ask that you limit your package’svalue to $100, not including shipping. (This is just a guideline to keep FibreShare approachable, so don’t stress over the numbers too much!)

You are required to ask your partner for their address and send them a package by the predetermined shipping deadline. (We communicate these deadlines multiple times on multiple platforms, so don’t worry: we’ll keep you in-the-know.)

You are required to be kind and courteous to both your partners, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity/race, religion, sexual orientation or any other social or personal characteristics.

Next steps: YOUR PARTNER MATCHES

Each round, we match you with TWO partners. You will get:

A partner who sends yarn TO YOU

A partner who receives yarn FROM YOU

You’ll focus most on the partner to whom you’re sending a package. About one week after sign ups close, you will get an email with all their details and fiber preferences, so you can send them something they’ll love!

We match partners BY HAND, (meaning, very very thoughtfully!) based on the sign up form you fill out fresh each round. We focus on:

The fun part: HOW TO CURATE THE PERFECT PACKAGE

Focus on quality: One thing we know ALL crafts and philosophies will appreciate is QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, so just send some things you know they will love (greater than or equal to 200 grams of fiber). There is no need to send a whole yarn store worth of goodies!

Ask them what they love: We also highly recommend that you reach out to your receiving partner to chat! FibreShare isn’t just about swapping yarn. It’s a community of creative people who share a spirit of friendship. So don’t be shy! Say howdy, and ask them what projects they’ve been dreaming of!

Be a fiber spy: It’s fun to do a little friendly social media stalking for extra inspo on what colors, textures, or projects your partner loves. Every participant is required to have an Instagram account, but if your partner isn’t very active there, try look for them on Etsy or Ravelry or Pinterest.

Shop small: We love to encourage everyone to support local + small businesses! Each round of FibreShare, you should watch your email inbox for a special discount code for our participants 😉

Take your package to the next level: Gift wrap has become a very fun aspect of FibreShare. Every round we love seeing all the clever ways you wrap your packages up for gifting. It doesn’t cost much and is such a nice touch. When your partner’s package finally arrives it will feel exactly like the best birthday they’ve ever had!

Logistics: HOW TO SHIP YOUR PACKAGE

Once you’ve picked out some beautiful yarns for your partner, it’s time to ship! Before you pack it all up, please ensure you’ve compiled at least 200 grams of fiber (this shouldn’t include any “extras” you’ve thrown into the package). Anything less, and you risk having your partner disappointed with their package, plus a possible ban from participating in future rounds of FibreShare (which we definitely don’t want to happen)!

Most commercially labeled yarn will have weight information clearly marked, but if not, you will need to weigh your fiber to make sure you’re sending enough.

HOW TO WEIGH YOUR FIBRE

Find yourself some trusty digital scales. A clean kitchen scale will work just fine, but just make sure the scales you use can show grams (or you could be super good at math and know how to convert to grams).

Place your scales on a level surface to ensure a correct reading.

Press the “mode” button until you see the letter “g” (which stands for grams) next to the numbers on your scales.

Place a clean bowl on top of the scales and set your scales back to zero by pressing the “tare” button – the current reading should say 0.00g or 0g.

Place the fiber inside the bowl to measure the total weight.

Keep adding fiber until the number on the scales reaches a minimum of 200g and then keep adding fiber to your generous heart’s content!

Don’t have a scale of your own? See if you can borrow one from a friend OR see if you can have your fiber weighed at your local post office. Chances are they will be happy to help; just remember to weigh the fiber only, not including any extra goodies, gift wrap, or shipping supplies.

WHEN AND HOW TO SHIP:

Each round of FibreShare, your shipping deadline is communicated via email, Instagram posts, and it’s also listed on our website’s home page.

The only shipping requirements are to:

Ask your partner for their address

Ship on or before the deadline

Keep your postage receipt or customs form in case we need to follow up on a missing package (tracking is not necessary)

But wait… WHAT ABOUT MISSING PACKAGES?!

In FibreShare, eeeeveryone gets a package, even if we have to send a replacement ourselves. In the event that your package doesn’t arrive, we will ask you to fill out a “Missing Package Report” and we will investigate. Rest assured you will receive something you’ll love. Period.

Still have questions? CONTACT US

We (Ashley and Beth) are ALWAYS happy to help you through the FibreShare process. Please contact us anytime and we will do our best to help you. We hope you’ll join the fun!